You might think you've heard it all before, and in a sense you have. There are not huge disparities between the core predictions of how climate change will affect the UK, released by the Government yesterday, and the earlier set of forecasts produced seven years ago. The central estimates of temperature rise by the 2080s, for example, are in the same ballpark.

Gordon Brown's authority as Prime Minister was dealt a severe blow today, as Communities Secretary Hazel Blears quit the Cabinet on the eve of crucial European and local elections.

Schools hit by swine flu were rescheduling GCSEs and A-levels today or asking for special consideration for pupils as the summer exam season begins.

The South Downs, the 627 square-miles of undulating chalkland that spreads across Sussex and Hampshire, were designated Britain's newest national park yesterday – more than 60 years after the area was first recommended for protection.

In these financially straitened times, the pressure on ministers to slash expenditure must be intense. So we should be grateful that the Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, has resisted such pressures and chosen to devote £25m towards halting the spread of the phytophthora fungus through Britain.

I want British agriculture to produce as much food as possible. No ifs. No buts. The only requirements: that consumers want what’s produced and that the way it’s produced sustains our environment and safeguards our landscape.

Farmers have condemned moves to force them to leave fields uncultivated, warning that as much land as possible should be used to grow more crops and create jobs.

An extra £4.3 million will go to protecting bees and conducting research into the threats they face, the Government announced today.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn came under pressure today ahead of the Government's expected approval of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Opposition to government plans to expand Britain's key airports was mounting yesterday with the emergence of a major backbench rebellion, the threat of more direct action and the prospect of a fresh inquiry into the policy. Already 41 Labour MPs have signed a motion demanding a vote over the proposed construction of a third runway at Heathrow, enough to overturn the Government's majority.